Sparking-ignition-controlling means for explosive-engines.



NO. 818,460. PATENTED 'APR. 24, 1906 I. s. MORELNND. SPARKING IGNITION CONTROLLING MEANS POII NNPLOsIvB ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED APR-21, 1904.

m'flzesses: I

No. 818,460. PATENTED APR. 24, 1906 J. S. MORELAND.

SPANKING IGNITION CONTROLLING MEANS FOR EXPLOSIVE ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED APRGZI, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 3v FQQO'EL JOSEPH S. MORELAND, OF

HUGHES-3123B, NEW

YORK, ASSlGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO MOSS MOSELY, OF ltt)tll"li lt%"ltlt, NEW YORK.

SPARKlNG-lGNlTlON-CONTROLLING MEANS FOR EXPLOSIVBENGINES.

Specification of Letters iatent.

iratented April 2%, 1903 Application filed April 21, 190i. Serial No. 204,221.

To /r// who/It if III/Ill] UOIM'K'JIII:

Be it known that I, Josnru S. MoRnLANn,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident oi" Rochester, in the county of hlonroe and State oi New YOI'K, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sparking ignition-Controlling Means for Explosive Engines, of which the following is a specification. I

My invention relates to controlling means for explosive-engines; and. it consists in the parts, combinations, and arrangements herein described and claimed. 7

The objects of my invention to provide an improved means for regulating explosiveengines in which, among other things, all dangers from premature or injurious ignition are avoided and which is simple in construction and certain in action.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan View illustrating one embodiment oi my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the construction shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional View, on an enlarged scale,-tal en on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2 with the governor omitted for clearness. Fig. 4 is a detail end ele vation of the parts shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a sectional View, on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line 6 (3 of Fig. 5, and-Fig. 7 is a detail view of parts shown in Fig. 5 with the springs omitted.

Referring to the drawings, 1 l are two opposed cylinders of an explosive-engine provided with the usual pistons 2, which are shown connected by connecting-rods 3 to ,diametrically-opposed cranks on the engineshaft 4. .'.he shaft 4 carries a flywheel 5 and is connected. by suitable gearing 6 and 7 with a counter-shalt 8.

A shii'table rod 33 is slidably mounted in a recess 32 in the shaft 8 and carries a comm utator-drum 36, of insulating material. The sliding movement of said rod is limited by a screw 34, extending through a slot 35 in the shaft and connecting said, rod to a sleeve 20, slidingly mounted on the shaft. A governor .16 16 is pivoted to the gear 7 and is provided with arms 18, engaging an annular groove 1.9 in the sleeve 20 for shifting said, sleeve and its attached rod 33 upon the actuation of the governor against the tensim'i of its governorsprings 17.

'lhe commutatordrum 36 is rigidly secured to the rod. peripheral band having one or more 37 oi conducting material angular extensions 32 An induction-coil' lo arranged with its primary 54 normally in open circuit with a source of electrical energy and two con- .tacts f2 and 53, which are carried by insulated supports on a case 41. The contact 52 is constructed of suliicient width to engage the band 37 during all shifting of the commutator-drum within the speeds for which the device is set or adjusted, and the contact 53 is constructed to engage the angular exten- -si ons 38 at an earlier or later point according to the shifted position of the commutatordrum.

'lhe secoi'idary of the imluction-coil is electrically coi'mected to the cngine-cylinders, as by a wire 49, and to a contact 410 by a wire 48. 'A plate 3), of conducting material, is secured on the end oi the commutator-drum in position to be brought into sparking relation to two terminals 43 and M, carried by insulated supports on the case ll and suitably connected by wires 45 tothe sparking device 47 in the cngiIre-cylinders. The plate 39 is constructed to engage the contact 40 at approxin'iatcly the axis of rotation of the drum, and the contact 40 is formed of resili ent material or provided with resilient means for maintaining it in engagement with said plate in all shil'ted positions of the. commutator-drum.

in the above-described construction it will be clear that upon rotation of the commutator-drum the primary of the induction-coil will be pmiodically closed by engagement oi the contact 53 with the angular extension .38 and that the time oi such closure will be ad vanccd or retarded according to the direction in which said drum is shifted by the governor. Lt wi l also be clear that all danger of injurious premature ignition, such asmight occur through premature or accidental short-circuiting oi the contacts 52 and 53, is obviated by coiistructing the comlucting-plate 89 to travel in sparking relation to the terminals 43 and 44 during only those portions of the engine-piston travel at which ignition is permissible or desirable. in other words, such sparking relation between the conductingplate 39 and the terminals 43 and 44 will cccur during the angular movement of said plate past the terminals, and asthe angular 33 and is provided with a I movement of the plate 39 is not affected by the shifting of the controlling member, but maintains a constant and invariable relation to the rotation of the en ine-shaft, the secondary circuit of the ind uction-coil will be placed in sparking relation during an invariable portion of the engine-piston travel. Said terminals 43 and 44 are formed of suflicient width for maintaining 'a constant length of sparking gap to the conducting-plate 39 during all shifting of the commutator-drum within the speeds for which the device is set. My invention .therefore provides a sin le shift'zble member for controlling both 516 primary and secondar of an induction-coil, in which the control 0 the primary circuit'is varied, while that of the secondary circuit remains invariable during all shifting of the controlling means.

An arm 22 is rigidlysecured to a trans verse shaft 21 in position to engage the sleeve 20, said arm being preferably provided with a roller for reducing friction. A crank 21 secured to the transverse shaft, is connected 2 5 by a spring 25 with a crank 26 on a shaft 26, carrying a lug 28 in engagement with a cam 27. The cam 27 is actuated by a suitable journaled spindle 29, provided with a lever 30, which cooperates with an index-plate 31 for enabling accurate adjustment of the camspindle. It will be obvious that adjustment of the cam-spindle 29 will, through the engagement of its cam 27 with the In 28, swing the shaft 26 and vary the tension of the spring 5- 25, thereby regulating the pressure of the arm 22 against the sleeve 20. This will vary the resistance exerted by said sleeve against the shiftin' action of the: governor 16, and thus provid a simple and convenient means 0 for controlling and adjusting the action of the governor with certainty during the operation of the engine.

Two arms 24 are shown loosely mounted on the transverse shaft 21, and provided with 5 lugs 24*, arranged to engage corresponding lugs 22' on the arm 22 or shaft 21 These ngaging lugs are proportioned to permit some play of the arms 24 ontheir shaft, and resilient means, such as a spring 23, engaging said arms, are provided for yieldingly maintaining the arms 24 in'their extreme rearward position,.as shown most clearly in Figs. 3, 5, and 6-.

At the rear of each engine-cylinder is jour- 5 naleda shaft 11, carrying anarm 12 in position-to engage the head of an exhaust-valve stem 13, aspring l3 bein provided for normall maintaining the ex aust-valve closed in t e usual manner. A crank 14 oil the shaft llcarries a link 14", constructed to enage a head 15 on the inlet-valve stem for ocking said valve in its closed position. An actuating-crank 10 on each shaft 11 is pivoted to arod 10, arranged with its inner end 6 5 in engaging relation to a cam 9 on the countor-shaft 8. The inner ends of said rods 161,-" may be supported in any suitable manner." In this construction the rods 10 are normally maintained in their inward position by the action of the exhaust-valve springs 13*, although additional means may be employed, if desired, and are alternately moved to their outward position by engagement of the cam 9 with their inner ends. The arms 24 are constructed and situated to engage In S, or 7 5 stops 24 on the respective rods, 10 for ocking said rods in their outward position when said arms are swung inward by the sleeve 20.

The periphery of the conducting-plate 39 is constructed of sufficient extent to travel in s arking relation to the terminals 43 and 44 I uring only those portions of the engine-piston travel at which ignition is permissible or desirable. This obviates all danger of injurious premature ignition, such as might 06- our through premature or accidental shortcircuiting of the contacts 52 and 53. Further, the sparking gap existing betweenv the periphery of the conducting-plate 39 and the terminals 43 and 44 acts to prevent operation of the engine under conditions of ineffi-. cient ignition or explosion, such as would be produced by a material weakening of the sparking current. I

What I claim is- 1. In an explosive-engine provided with the usual cylinder, piston and ignition de-.-

vices, the combination of an induction-coil, a single shiftable controlling member constructed to vary the time of makin vandroo breaking the primary circuit of said 0011 and to place the secondary circuit thereof in sparking condition during an invariable portion of the en ine-piston travel, and a governing means for automatically shifting said. 10 5 controlling member, substantially as described. I 2. In an explosive-engine provided with the usual cylinder, piston and ignition devices, the combination of an induction-coil, a single shiftable controlling member constructed to vary the time ofrnakin and breaking the primary circuit of said coil and to place the secondary circuit thereof in sparking condition during an invariable portion of the engine-piston travel, a governing means fo automatically shifting said controlling member, an adjustable means engaging\said controlling member and constructed to resist the shifting action of the governing means thereon, and means for varying the resistance of said adjustable means during the operation of the engine, substantially as described. j

3. In an, explosive engine provided with the usual cylinder, piston, and ignition devices, the combination of an induction-coil arranged with its primary in open circuit with a source of electrical energy and"tW 0 contacts, and its secondary inopen clrcuit ITO means constructed to shift said controlling i automatically,

.trolling member automatically,

vices, the combination of an inductiorrcoil -the combination of an induction-coil ere rec with the ignition devices and a terminal, a I l shiitable controlling member constructed to engage said two contacts in the primary circuit to close said circuit at vari: ous points inthe travel of the several enginepistons and to place said secondarycontact successively in sparking relation with each of said terminals during an invariable portion of the corresponding engine piston travel, and a governing means constructed single shift-able controlling member cona single structed to engage said two contacts 111 the primary circuit to close said circuit at various points in the engine-piston travel and to close the secondary circuit through a spark gap to said terminal during an invariable por tion of the engine-piston travel, and a gov erning means constructed to emit said consubstantially as described. 7 i

4. In an enplosive-engme provided with the usual cylinder, piston and ignition deally, substantially as described.

7. In an explosive-engine provided with the usual cylinder, piston and ignition devices, the combination of-an induction-coil arranged with its primary in open circuit arranged with its primary in open circuit with a source of electrical energy and two contacts, and its secondary in opencircuit with the ignition devices and a termina a single shiftable controlling member constructed to engage said two contacts in the primary circuit to close said circuit at various points in the engine-piston travel and to close the secondary circuit through a sparkgap to said terminal during an invariable por tion oi 'the engine-piston travel, a governing contacts, and its secondary arranged. in electrical connection. with one electrode of the ignition. device and with a contact, a termisparking relation to said terminal during an member automatically, adjustable means engaging said controlling member and con structed to resist the shifting action of the governing means thereon, and means for vaing the resistance of said-adjustable means during the operation of the engine, substan tially as described.

5. In an explosive-engine provided with the. usual cylinder, piston, and ignition devices, the combination of an induction-coil arranged with its primary in open circuit with a source of electrical energy and two contacts, and its secondary arranged in electrical connection with one electrode of the i nition device and with a contact, a terminal electrically-connected to the remaining electrode of the ignition device, a single shiftable controlling member constructed to engage said two contacts in theprimary circuit to close said circuit at various points in the engins-piston traveland to place said secondary contact in sp rking relation to said terminal'during an invariable portion of the engine-piston travel, and a governing means travel, and a governing means constructed ally, substantially as described. I

8. In an explosive-engine provided with the usual cylinder, piston and ignition devices, the combination of an induction-coil arranged with its primary in open circuit with a source of electrical energy and two" contacts, and its secondary arranged in elec trical connection with one electrode of the ignition device and with a contact, a terminal electrically connected to the remaining electrode of the ignition device, a single shiftable controlling member provided with a eripheral element, constructed to engage said twocontacts in the primary circuit to close said circuit at various points in the en- 'gine-pistontravel, and with an end plate constructed to place said secondary contact in sparking relation to said terminal during constructed to shift said controlling member an invariable portion of the engine-piston substantially as described. travel, means constructed to maintain said d l secondary contact in engagement with said plate in the several shifted controlling means, and a governing means constructed to shift said controlling member automatically, substantially as described.

Nitnesses 6. In a multiple-cylinder engine provide with the usual pistons and ignition devices,

ranged with its primary in open circuit with a source of electrical energy and two contacts, and its secondary arranged in electrical connection with one of the electrodes of each of the several ignition devices and with a contact, a separate terminal for each oi said (finisher),

L. Tuon.

ignition devices arranged in electrical connal electrically connected to the remaining 1 positions of the nection with the remaining electrode thereof to shift said controlling member automaticwith a source of electrical'ener and two" invariable portion of the engine piston 

